This novel took a little time to find its rhythm, but once it did, I was hooked. The pacing builds steadily, culminating in a satisfying and well-crafted ending. What really stood out to me was the seamless blend of genres—Greek mythology, adventure, and murder mystery—each introduced at just the right moment to add depth and intrigue.

As someone with a long-standing fascination with Greek mythology, I especially appreciated how those mythological threads were woven into the narrative. They added a rich, atmospheric backdrop that elevated the story beyond a typical whodunit.

If you're drawn to locked-room mysteries with mythological undertones and a dash of treasure hunting, this book might be your next great escape.

3.5 stars

Fifteen years ago Maia visited the Greek island of Eris for a writers retreat hosted by manipulative billionaire Argos Alexander. Maia, along with the other writers, have been invited back for a reunion weekend of sorts. When they arrive, Argos is nowhere to be found and he has left instructions, playing as usual game. But when people start ending up dead, we find out if any of the writers can be trusted. After all, they are all liars.

This was a quick read, and I liked the Greek island setting. There were a lot of twists and turns, and I think if you really knew a lot about Greek mythology, you would enjoy this book. It was a classic locked room thriller, with everyone being trapped on an island.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for a copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow/Harper Collins Publishers and Carol Goodman, the author for an opportunity to read the ARC of Writers and Liars; this review reflects my candid opinion. I must admit that I am not a fan of Greek mythology or locked room mysteries so Writers and Liars was not honestly my cup of tea. I found Carol Goodman's writing to be easy to read although occasionally a bit repetitive. I think if you liked mythology and the that particular type of mystery you would find Writers and Liars a very satisfactory read. Carol Goodman has written many books, and I I tend to explore her writing style through some of her other works. 3 stars.

As someone who loves greek mythology, i devoured this book in a snap!
It was slow paced and giving me a very agatha vibe but it was bearable.
I jusy like it when mythologies are associated with the books.

Maia Gold is the daughter of an antiquities dealer and collector. They were very close, up until his death. Her mother also tragically died years ago, after battling severe depression and some would say, madness, which poured out through her art.
Fifteen years ago she was invited to an artists’ retreat on a remote Greek island owned by a billionaire, Argos Alexander, who invited a select few to come and be inspired to write their great novel. Maia did, and hasn’t written a thing since, choosing to instead work at her father’s museum, and nurse her broken heart, betrayed by her lover with her new best friend at the retreat. And she never spoke to either again.
But now she’s received an invitation back to the island, back to the two people who broke her heart, and to the billionaire who is more connected with her lost parents than she realizes. When she arrives, there’s more than one tragic death that occurs, and she must try to solve who is the murderer, and who can be trusted, before she becomes the next victim.
Set on a beautiful island in Greece called Eris, and interspersed with tales of Greek and Roman mythology and its history, this is another immediately immersive murder suspense novel by Carol Goodman. This book would be great for fans of mythology, suspense, and unraveling family secrets.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are solely mine and do not reflect the author, publisher, or affiliates.

Writers and Liars is a cleverly twisted, suspenseful thriller that keeps you guessing until the very last page. Carol Goodman masterfully blends a high-stakes whodunit with a tense, isolated setting on a Greek island. The mix of ambition, betrayal, and murder among writers creates an addictive, edge-of-your-seat reading experience. Dark, gripping, and utterly unputdownable—this is a must-read for fans of psychological suspense.

This was a unique read with an amazing writing style. I was hooked from chapter one. The betrayal pointed out made it a lot more fun to see what happened

I was really excited to see another writer/island getaway type novel--you just know you're in for something smart and funny an 100% locked room thriller. Goodman did not disappoint. When Maia returns to the Greek island of Eris, where she wrote her first book, she sees this as an opportunity to revive her writing career. But of course, when she arrives her host is missing, then found dead, and the guests, her fellow writers, must deal with one another while trying to figure out what's going on. This was a fun one!

Writer and Liars is my least favorite of the books I've read by Carol Goodman.

A group of writers is invited by a rich man to his secluded island in Greece, the same group of people who were invited to a similar gathering fifteen years ago. I admit I struggled at the beginning of the book, annoyed by the pettiness of the characters who were holding onto hard feelings and misguided beliefs from 15 years ago while determined to impress, and at the same time badmouth the others. Geez, what is this, high school?

As in any closed-door mystery, people start to die, one by one, and the rest must figure out who is behind it and stop them. Heavy in Greek mythology. Pace picked up but still disappointed over all in the book.

My thanks to William Morrow for allowing me to read a DRC of the book via NetGalley. Publication was 7/15/25. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

I love the Agatha Christie type mystery where you know all the characters, first impressions are just the tip of the iceberg and relationships are complex with grudges and misunderstandings. This book was a bit dark, somewhat twisty and dramatic. It kept me interested and turning the pages. I love this author and will keep on reading her books.

Writers and Liars by Carole Goodman is another trapped on an island mystery, a la Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. It is dark and mysterious with twists and turns that will keep you guessing. It intwines Greek mythology into the story of murder which makes it stand out from other stories of this type. It was thrilling and suspenseful. It's a must read.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy.

Maia Gold is following the footsteps of her father and is running the same classics museum as he did. When a letter arrives inviting her and other attendees to the Greek island of Eris, Maia reluctantly agrees to return to the place she wrote her debut novel. But when the crew arrives, all isn't as it seems.

This locked-roomed-on-an-island format book was intriguing, but it didn't hold my attention for long, unfortunately. When it started off, I very much thought it was going to be a similar vein to YOU ARE FATALLY INVITED. Though the two had their similarities, WRITERS AND LIARS wasn't as much of a page turner as I expected/anticipated/hoped for.

There were a *lot* of references to Greek mythology and its characters, which was enjoyable...until it wasn't. Most of the references were obscure and I didn't think the author explained them well enough for it to add to the story. The characters were all rather frustrating and 90% of Maia's issues with some people could be solved by her simply shutting up and listening. I didn't establish any sort of emotional connection with the characters so the stakes were never that high for me.

Overall, I thought the concept was great, but the execution fell a bit flat for me.

Thank you to William Morrow, Carol Goodman, and Netgalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have read several of Carol Goodman’s books over the years but none in quite some time so I was happy to have this chance to read her latest. In many ways it reminds me of themes from her past novels, ones that I enjoyed. A relatively young woman, Maia Gold, is invited to a writers’ conference on the Greek island of Eris owned by Argos Alexander. But this is not her first time visiting Eris. She was there 15 years before at a conference that didn’t end as she had hoped. She has been summoned by written invitation, instructions provided. Ultimately, in spite of misgivings, she decides to go, to see the place and people from all those years ago and hopefully settle old problems.

Once Maia arrives at Eris, an island aptly named for the goddess of discord, tensions from the past and odd currents from the present takeover. As in my past reading experiences with Goodman, there is a strong classical mythology presence running through the novel, with Goodman providing details on the various gods, goddesses and legends. The suspense begins almost immediately and continues to the end.

This is not a high energy thriller but an entertaining suspense novel, a whodunnit, how and why, that works a complicated route to solution. After a somewhat slow beginning, I enjoyed being along for this ride and read quickly to the end. I recommend this for an enjoyable read.

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

A twisty thriller with plot twists that made me audibly gasp. This one was so good. Like for real, it is very well written and wildly readable. I might be a bit biased but I tend to like writers in my books. They make the experience so much more cooler and interesting to read. Also, writers tend to be unreliable protagonists. It is very true in this case. This felt like reading Kill Creek without the horror aspect present.

Full of suspense and such a fun read. Loved this one and will def be reading more from this author. Also listened to the audiobook and loved it.

So many authors put their own twist on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. In Writers and Liars, Carol Goodman sets her novel on a Greek Island, brings in a group of authors who were there fifteen years earlier, and provides a Greek mythology background.

Maia Gold was one of the creatives invited to Argos Alexander’s prestigious and exclusive writers’ retreat fifteen years earlier. She fell in love, felt betrayed by her best friend and the young man she loved, and wrote a bestselling book while she was on the gorgeous island of Eris. Now, she’s the supervisor of the Museum of Ancient Antiquities at a college. When she receives Argos’ invitation to return for another retreat, she can’t resist the siren call. Now, though, she’s returning for revenge.

Although Argos doesn’t appear at the opening dinner, he leaves instructions that the small group of writers submit a short mystery story by the next morning, and one will win the contest. But, instead of finding their host, they find his body. When they try to call the police, they discover someone has cut off phone and short wave radio communications. Now, they’re stuck on the island. All their old fears and resentments return, and they suspect one of them is a killer.

It’s been fifteen years since Maia was a young ambitious woman wanting to write. Now, she learns some of her suppositions were wrong. She’s had time to grow up, and it’s interesting to watch her realize she’s made mistakes. She came to the island for revenge, and to prove to her dead parents that she still had the courage of her dreams.

I am glad I have an extensive knowledge of Greek mythology when I read this novel. It permeates the book, and I’m guessing it might slow down some readers without that background. However, Writers and Liars can certainly be enjoyed for the trope of a handful of people trapped on a island with a killer.

If you have no interest in Greek mythology, this is not a book for you. The characters are okay if a bit flat. Being trapped on a deserted island and a murder mystery should be interesting, but it doesn't live up to its potential. Even as someone who's into Greek mythology, I found the constant references to be overkill. I don't recommend it mainly because I was bored.

Carol Goodman always satisfies and creates atmospheres that tantalize. This is a great locked room mystery and while some of the elements were odd, it really worked.

Writers and Liars is a quick, engrossing summer thriller. I was hooked from page one about a mysterious group past and an equally mysterious summons to meet again. The narrative grabbed me too, as a lover of Greek mythology. And with so many Greek stories being tragic, the references definitely upped the tension and creepiness for me. This book wasn’t particularly long but I still flew through, reading the whole thing in almost one sitting.

ARC Review: Writers and Liars by Carol Goodman ⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wish I had enjoyed this one more. I loved the Greek Mythology elements and the idea of shedding a light of the misogynistic elements of myth and lore. I enjoy a good secluded island mystery but this one was just a little lackluster and quite predictable to me. The eerie island setting and the fast pacing were two good elements of this story but the twists didn’t hit for me. Ultimately this book has a good structure but the writing doesn’t find its emotional footing with the reader until it’s almost too late.

This book contains references to mental illness, suicide and rape, please take care of yourself while reading if these elements may be harmful to your wellbeing.

Writer and Liars was released July 15th 2025!